Verdicts and Settlements
The Law Office of Werner R. Meissner, A Professional Law Corporation has recovered over $50 Million Dollars for its clients. The following is a sampling of some of the prestigious and interesting results:
$10,675,000.00 Jury verdict obtained in a Medical Malpractice case for client whose child suffered brain damage as a result of a birth injury due to the premature, artificial rupture of membranes by the obstetrician, failure to timely perform a C section and problems associated with prematurity. The case settled while on appeal.
$3,101,000.00 Settlement for three victims of Clergy Sexual Abuse from the Diocese of Orange County and Roman Catholic Archbishop of Los Angeles. Two of these cases were amongst the first cases originally filed against the church in 1992, resulting in some of the highest settlements at the time. The claims were later revived and re-filed, together with a first time claim, on behalf of the three victims in 2001. These are amongst the highest settlements in clergy abuse cases.
$2,050,000.00 Jury verdict for a 42-year-old lumber yard worker who was hit by a car while standing on the side walk pushing a pedestrian cross-walk button. The client suffered a fracture of the sacrum which healed without surgery and fractures of the left tibia and fibula, which required surgery. Client medical expenses were $45,000.00. This case was forced to jury trial by the two insurance companies who had a maximum of $30,000.00. The insurance companies waived any policy limits to settle the judgment. This is one of the largest jury verdicts in the country for a leg fracture and was one the highest verdicts in the Redondo Beach Branch of the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
$1,350,000.00 Settlement during Trial obtained for three victims of Medical Malpractice committed during male enhancement surgeries, resulting in scarring, disfigurement and disability. The case settled after the defendant doctor testified in court in Brooklyn, New York.
$1,265,000.00 Settlement from an insurance company for a 26-year-old client who was shot on the freeway by another motorist in a gang related shooting. The client suffered injuries to his hip and spleen requiring surgery. Claimed medical expenses were $186,000.00. Mr. Meissner obtained the settlement from three different insurance policies, two of which were discovered in litigation. Additionally, this was the first case of its kind in California to result in a large payment plan by an insurance company who generally exclude intentional acts. The settlement came after Mr. Meissner won a Motion for Summary Judgment and filed a lawsuit for bad faith against the insurance company.
$1,000,000.00 Settlement from an insurance company who refused to pay the client his life insurance benefits after the accidental death of his wife. The insurance company tried to void the policy based upon alleged misrepresentations in the application and then accused the insured of murdering his own wife. This case was in both Federal and State court and no criminal charges were ever filed.
$1,000,000.00 Settlement for a Wrongful Death of a 36-year-old farm worker who was survived by two adult daughters. The driver of decedent's vehicle fell asleep at the wheel and caused a head-on collision on the I-15 in Utah.
$750,000.00 Settlement for a 26-year-old woman involved in a Automobile Accident when another driver negligently turned left in front of her. The client suffered fractures of both bones in her left arm and underwent two surgeries. Total medical expenses were $126,000.00. This case was litigated and settled at mediation and was one of the largest settlements in Los Angeles County for arm fractures.
$725,000.00 Settlement, before trial, for a 46-year-old wood floor installer who was involved in a rear-end accident on State Highway 65 in Sacramento. The client was rear-ended by a cement truck and underwent neck surgery for spine decompression and fusion. Medical expenses were approximately $125,000.00.
$600,000.00 Settlement in Medical Malpractice action for a 66-year-old widow who underwent back surgery for scoliosis. During the surgery, a screw was wrongly inserted into her spinal canal causing severe pain and disability. This settlement was against a prominent university medical center involving the chief of orthopedic surgery.
$500,000.00 Settlement for a 48-year-old female Bus driver injured while working. The client was rear-ended by a large delivery truck and had lower back injuries requiring surgery. Medical expenses were $116,000.00. The client recovered an additional $90,000.00 on her Workers' Compensation case.
$465,000.00 Settlement during Trial for a family of three who were injured when rearended by a vehicle on the freeway while they were stopped in the middle lanes due to car failure. The defense argued that the lights a on the disabled vehicle were not on and that the driver was faced with a sudden and unavoidable peril. After Mr. Meissner deilvered his opening statement to the jury , the case settled.
$450,000.00 Settlement for a 33-year-old computer programmer involved in a Rear-end Accident in Sacramento, resulting in lower back surgery for discectomy, foramenotomy and for nerve root decompression. Total medical expenses were $35,000.00. Loss of wages were claimed to be $10,000.00.
$400,000.00 Settlement for a Medical Malpractice claim for negligently labeling pathology slides resulting in a mastectomy being performed on the wrong breast of a 72-year-old female. The client also obtained future medical care and treatment as part of the settlement. The client does not have metastatic cancer and should make a good recovery. Since this case was against and HMO, there were no out-of-pocket expenses.
$385,376.00 Trial Award for the death of a 45-year-old woman and mother of three adult children in a Medical Malpractice case. The client underwent gallbladder surgery and was administered an excessive amount of blood thinners resulting in severe bleeding and related complications.
$300,000.00 Settlement for a 70-year-old female, retired nurse, who tripped over a string left by a construction crew in a parking lot of a housing development project. The client suffered injuries to her shoulder and knee. She required rotator cuff surgery and knee surgery, which was partially due to the accident and degenerative joint disease. The total medical expenses were $74,693.87.
$250,000.00 Settlement in a Medical Malpractice case brought on behalf of a 19-year-old client suffered the loss of a testicle as a result of the emergency room physician not properly diagnosed for testicular torsion. One testicle had to be removed. However, the client is still able to procreate successfully with the remaining testicle. This was the largest settlement in the country at the time for the loss of a single testicle in a medical malpractice action.
$220,000.00 Settlement for a 46-year-old female caregiver who was injured while riding as a passenger on a city owned bus. The client suffered injuries to her knee and required surgery to repair the anterior cruciate ligament. The total medical expenses were $40,554.00.
$210,000.00 Dog Bite Settlement for a woman in Sacramento who was attacked and bit on the face by a neighbor's dog at the neighbor's house. The defense argued that the plaintiff trespassed and had no right to come over to visit and feed the dog when nobody was home.
$200,000.00 Settlement when a Faulty Punch Press at a meat processing and manufacturing plant caused the amputation of the client's right ring finger. The client was a 21-year-old female. Mr. Meissner successfully argued that the facts of the case warranted an exception to the workers' compensation exclusive remedy. The client also obtained a workers' compensation settlement.
$176,000.00 Settlement obtained for a 47-year-old woman who was knocked off her bicycle by a dog that chased her while she was biking with her dog on a leash. The client suffered a fracture of her jaw, broken teeth and facial injuries. The total medical expenses were $36,295.49.
$150,000.00 Settlement for a Products Liability case for a 48-year-old lumber yard worker who was injured when a piece of wood kicked back from a rip saw seriously injuring him in the chest requiring surgery. The case was pursued against the manufacturer of the saw that was over 40 years old. After tracking down several successor companies, the case settled prior to trial. Additionally, the client obtained a $600,000.00 workers' compensation settlement and an additional $100,000.00 from the employer for serious and willful misconduct.
$110,000.00 Jury Verdict for a 46-year-old male who fell over a sprinkler head, at the client's apartment complex, resulting in a hip fracture surgery. Medical expenses were $25,000.00.
$105,000.00 Settlement obtained for Tenants who were wrongfully evicted and harassed by landlord. After successfully vacating the unlawful detainer action, the Plaintiffs filed suit to recover for wrongful eviction, harassment, and infliction of emotional distress.
$100,000.00 Policy limits Settlement for a 10-year old boy who was bitten in the face by a dog brought over to the property by one of his father's friends.
$75,000.00 Settlement for a 38-year-old female real estate agent who slipped and fell at a shopping mall, fracturing a bone in her right foot. The client's medical expenses were $11,781.00.
$45,000.00 Settlement for an Assault and Battery case. The client was assaulted at a night club by an off duty security guard and suffered an eye injury which fully recovered. The client suffered eye, neck and back injuries. The total medical expenses were $7,084.00.
$39,200.00 Arbitration Award for a 26-year-old female involved in a Rear-end Collision. The insurance company refused to pay the claim stating that it was a minimal impact accident and that the client would not have been injured. Based upon the Arbitration Award, the insurance company ended up paying more than the policy limit.
$33,685.00 Jury Verdict for a 9-year-old boy who was injured while being allowed to play basketball and rough house in his classroom at a public elementary school. The client suffered a fracture to his arm which required surgery. The school district argued that it was just an accident but investigation revealed that there was grossly inadequate supervision.
$32,460.00 Trial Judgement for a 38-year-old female involved in an Automobile Accident. The defendant only had policy limits of $15,000.00. The insurance company would not pay plaintiff's demand of $13,500.00. Although the client was willing to settle for less than the policy limits, the insurance company only offered $7,842.00 to settle the case. After prevailing at trial, the insurance company paid the entire amount of the verdict plus costs and interest.
If you or a loved one has any type of legal issue, call us now at (310) 833-2335 FOR A FREE CONSULTATION. The Law Office of Werner R. Meissner will fight to protect your rights.
